What's Next?

Last fall Basic Books published Snoop , a book by University of Texas psychology professor Sam Gosling. Gosling's research has demonstrated that an individual's personality can be profiled according to the "stuff" he surrounds himself with. His premise is very appealing. So in each section of ENGL 1102 I asked students to take the simple 10-item test that shows them which aspect of the "Big Five" personality domain they were strongest in: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. I don't think any of them were surprise by the result, and the group was about as evenly divided as I expected. The only domain we were short on is agreeableness. Now they have to write a critical analysis of the book. (What! We have to read the WHOLE BOOK?!!) Most, however, are finding that the further they get into it, the more they are taking to the concept of snooping. Being a "snoop" is one way of seeing into the problems and is...

As a working writer, I get to interview some interesting people, and today's work was no exception. I met a chief of police this morning who gave me a whole new perspective on the economy. Okay, that seems like a disconnect; let me explain. It seems that home and auto burglaries are steadily increasing as the economy becomes more bleak. This chief heads a bedroom community police force that is dealing with a growing number of daytime home break-ins that result in theft of large-screen TVs, electronics, cash, and jewelry. How to handle it? He has a few ideas. The officer in charge of community relations has put the word out to churches, asking congregations to announce the problem and for individuals to call if they see anything unusual in their neighborhoods. The force is trying to rebuild its neighborhood watch program, and they are trying to get the word out through local media. When I was younger, economic issues were a problem, but like most Americans, I've grown used to h...